Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Vandals destroy lockdown library
“MINDLESS vandals” are believed to have destroyed a lockdown library outside a local primary school.
Alison Rasche, who started the mini-library outside Seaview Primary School in Monifieth two months ago, said she had been forced to remove the library because it had been damaged.
She said: “Unfortunately the ‘Lockdown Library’ we set up outside Seaview has had to be removed.
“While we can’t be certain, unfortunately it seems unlikely that the damage caused was anything other than mindless vandalism.
“We will try to repair and return it as soon as we can.
“Many people have been enjoying sharing their books during lockdown and while the library remains closed.”
Alison started the little library in May.
Her aim was for people to help themselves to a book and share any of their own while they were out on their daily exercise, providing entertainment and light relief for locals during a testing time.
She said there was a mix of children’s and adult books.
Monifieth councillor Craig Fotheringham said he was disgusted at the damage to the library.
He said: “This is deplorable. “I can never understand why, when someone does something community-minded like this, that mindless vandals just have to go and spoil it for everyone else.
“This was a terrific initiative that brought a little joy and pleasure to many people in Monifieth during a very difficult time.
“I hope whoever did this feels very ashamed of themselves.
“I’d like to think that whoever did this will be caught and made to pay.
“Monifieth is a strong, tight-knit community that has pulled together to help each other out during lockdown.
“This was just one of many small acts that made such a difference to people’s lives.”
One local resident said: “This is such a shame.
“We were regular goers to the library before Covid so the lockdown library has been a godsend for me with the kids.”
Another resident added: “Why can’t people leave things alone? It just seems they can’t bear to see people being happy.”